Process for the purification of glyceride oils

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CONTINUOUSLY REFINING LIPOID BCONTAINING CRUDE SOYBEAN OILS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) CONTINUOUSLY ADDING A MIXTURE OF AQUEOUS SODIUM CARBONATE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTIONS TO A STREAM OF SAID CRUDE OIL, SAID SODIUM CARBONATE BEING ADDED IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUPPRESS ANY EVOLUTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE GAS AND GREATER THAN 2 MOLECULAR EQUIVALENTS FOR EACH MOLE OF FREE FATTY ACID PRESENT IN SAID CRUDE OIL, AND SAID SODIUM HYDROXIDE BEING ADDED IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE PHOSPHATIDE CONTENT, EXPRESSED AS PHOSPHORUS PENTOXIDE, OF THE REFINED OIL TO BETWEEN ABOUT 3 AND ABOUT 30 PARTS PER MILLION AND IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 0.0004 TO ABOUT 0.004 TIMES THE WEIGHT OF SAID CRUDE OIL, (2) SUBJECTING THE COMBINATION OF SAID CRUDE OIL AND THE SAID MIXTURE OF SODIUM CARBONATE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE TO SHEARING FORCES EQUIVALENT TO TURBINE TIP SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 850 FEET PER MINUTE FOR AT LEAST 15 SECONDS, (3) MAINTAINING SAID COMBINATION IN CONTACT FOR AT LEAST ABOUT ONE MINUTE, WHEREBY THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE IMPURITIES IS REMOVED FROM THE SAID CRUDE OIL TO FORM A REFINED OIL AND A FOOTS PHASE, AND (4) SEPARATING SAID REFINED OIL FROM SAID FOOTS PHASE BY CENTRIFUGATION.